Currently, various phones and mobile computing systems support configurable speed dial functionality that can be programmed and used to make contact with any desired party by pressing, and/or otherwise activating, one or more buttons or icons, such as a designated numerical digit and symbol combination. Some phones and mobile computing systems specifically provide this configurable speed dial functionality for the purpose of allowing the user to program one or more contacts, or, more correctly, contact data such as a phone number associated with the one or more contacts, so that the one or more contacts can be easily accessed when needed in an emergency.
As a specific example, a user can currently program a mobile phone speed dial feature so that a ten digit telephone number associated with a first specified party is automatically dialed when the user presses the “#” symbol, or a speed dial button, followed by the numerical button “1” and a different ten digit telephone number associated with a second specified party is automatically dialed when the user presses the “#” symbol, or a speed dial button, followed by the numerical button “2”.
These currently available speed dial systems can be quite helpful and, in many cases, can allow a user to establish communications with a desired contact person fairly quickly. However, the currently available speed dial contact systems are largely static and “dumb” in that the contact persons are chosen based solely on the user's input and no consideration is given to the location of the user at the time of the attempted contact, or the location, and/or status, of the contact person at the time of the attempted contact. Consequently, currently available speed dial systems have significant limitations and drawbacks when used as emergency contact systems.
For instance, using currently available speed dial contact systems, a user may program a mobile phone so that a ten digit telephone number associated with a first contact person who lives a block away from the user is automatically dialed when the user presses the “#” symbol, or a speed dial button, followed by the numerical button “1”. In this specific illustrative example, it could also be the case that the user has programed the mobile phone so that a ten digit telephone number associated different, second, contact person who lives two miles away is automatically dialed when the user presses the “#” symbol, or a speed dial button, followed by the numerical button “2”.
In this specific example, in the event of an emergency at home, the user, with perhaps little time to act, may choose the first contact person who lives a block away from the user by pressing the “#” symbol, or a speed dial button, followed by the numerical button “1”. In this instance, an attempt to contact the first contact person will be made. However, it may be that at the time of the emergency, the first contact person is not at home a block away but is actually across town, thirty miles away in traffic. Consequently, the first contact person can do little for the user except perhaps place a likely redundant call to 911.
In this specific example, further assume that, unknown to the user because of the limitations of currently available speed dial contact systems, the second contact person who lives two miles away was actually shopping at a grocery store a mere one-half mile from the user at the time of the emergency. Consequently, the user would have been much better served if the user had chosen the second contact person to call. However, using currently available speed dial contact systems the user would have no way of knowing this and, at best, would have to manually press the “#” symbol, or a speed dial button, followed by the numerical button “2” after the user tried the first contact person and became aware of the first contact person's physical and temporal distance from the emergency location. This would require additional, and often precious, time and/or considerable effort and clarity of thought/action by the user, at a time when to user is likely under the considerable stress of the emergency.
Given the hectic, and highly mobile, lifestyles of many people today, the situation described above is a highly likely scenario. Consequently, using currently available speed dial contact systems as emergency contact systems, precious time and effort can be wasted contacting the arguably “wrong” emergency contact person for a given emergency and location.
What is needed is a method and system that, once activated by the user, automatically selects an emergency contact person, from a list of emergency contact persons, that is physically, and/or temporally, closest to the user and/or the emergency location, i.e., automatically selects the emergency contact person that can get to the user and/or the emergency location in the shortest estimated time.